Mud Hens and I Storm Through Kentucky

I just got back from Kentucky, where I spent a week scoring a billion AP tests until my eyes bled. The best part of this job is always the kids who don't write anything and draw pictures instead. I'd describe these pictures, but the standardized testing behemoth that is ETS would hunt me down if I revealed anything. Seriously, scorers have been shipped off to gulags for spilling ETS secrets. I may have already said too much. Gulp...

Just take my word for it that some kids have a great sense of humor, even if they're throwing away college credit. Hey, college isn't for everybody.

But, yeah, this blog is for baseball cards and other such related business. So I thought I'd share the best part of my trip, which was going to a Louisville Bats game. I lucked out since they played the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers' AAA team. The Mud Hens won, and I got plenty of dirty looks for cheering them on. Will Rhymes made some great plays at second and had a few nice hits. And guess who was batting cleanup.

Well, that's something I'd never see at a Tigers game. That's right, they had him swinging the big bat, and he was even DH-ing. Inge had a few nice hits, and seems to be rehabbing nicely from his bout with the kissing disease. We look forward to you coming home to third, little B.

I also got to see Ryan Perry pitch a beautiful ninth inning to earn the save.



Perry stuck around to sign after the game, but I didn't have a pen or cards. It was nice to see him mingling with the fans nonetheless.

Perhaps I could have picked up a few cards for him to buy since the stadium had a little stand that was selling cards. Basically, it was a square of glass cases full of Reds cards and a bunch of super over-priced high-end cards. Killebrew autos for hundreds, a Ripken rookie for $120, Bronson Arroyo commons for a buck a piece. I even saw a fella buy a base Drew Stubbs rookie for five bucks. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see cards selling for over Beckett price at a baseball stadium where a Bud Light costs six bucks. I didn't buy any beer, and I didn't buy any cards, but I saw a damn good game. And now I'm happy to be back in Michigan.